EPA: This money will create jobs to help clean up leaks from underground storage tanks and protect Idaho’s land and water.

(Boise, Idaho – September 3, 2009) EPA announced it is distributing nearly $1,284,000 to Idaho in the form of a cooperative agreement for assessing and cleaning up underground storage tank petroleum leaks. The cooperative agreement between Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) and EPA includes a detailed description of the state’s spending plans.

“Protecting Idaho’s ground water starts with preventing leaks from underground storage tanks,” said Michelle Pirzadeh, EPA acting Regional Administrator in Seattle. “Since many people in Idaho depend on ground water for their drinking water, these Recovery Act funds will play a vital role in protecting public health, safeguarding the environment and energizing local economies.”

This money is part of $200 million appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to address shovel-ready sites nationwide contaminated by petroleum from leaking underground storage tanks.

The greatest potential hazard from a leaking underground storage tank is that the petroleum or other hazardous substances seep into the soil and contaminate ground water, the source of drinking water for nearly half of all Americans.

The funds will be used for overseeing assessment and cleanup of leaks from underground storage tanks or directly paying for assessment and cleanup of leaks from federally regulated tanks where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling, unable, or the cleanup is an emergency response.